Against All Odds
by IonicAmalgam
Summary: Among a backdrop of changing destinies, some things remain true even to the end.  No Pairing Yet
1. The Snapes

**Title**: Against All Odds  
**Rating**: T  
**Based On**: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, (c) Scholastic, Bloomsbury, WB, etc. etc.  
**Disclaimer**: If I owned this work, would I publish this on _fan_fiction? All rights copyright their respective owners.

* * *

_Past & Present  
_

A gentle summer breeze whisked by in a rustic suburb just north of the Manchester-Lancanshire border (1). Away from the Calder river snaked a small dirt road weaving through the grass occasionally flanked by what once were proud and majestic adobes. It had been thirty years since the last factory closed shop, a good ten years before the second great war. Unkempt paint, once vivid and bright, lay dulled by mysterious downpours of ash, allegedly a result of the great fire.

Despite being a ghost town, nature has a way of coming back to life. Flowers and weeds claimed back lands once lost to civilization. The previously dead river, no longer burdened with manufacturing waste, bloomed back stronger than ever, as only the sturdiest survived.

Following them came a wave of newly arrived families, new members of the middle-class seeking a better life than that found within the city, attracted by the beauty of the wild, and unable to afford a life in wealthy districts. Of course, few moved into the abandoned brick shacks that housed the previous inhabitants. Rather, most moved to the other side of the bank, a "fresh start" for the town, they declared.

And so, all was forgotten on the long and windy road of Spinners End. All, save for one family who stubbornly refused to move.

* * *

_The Snapes_

It was all _his_ fault really. Him, and beer that is. At least, that's what the bastard wife of mine kept saying. If I were sober, I'd probably agree with them.

But really, who wouldn't drown themselves in beer to dull away the curse that is called life? Supporting a family isn't easy you know, especially after losing years of savings in the sham deal buying the accursed factory from P- and W-. And what did I get, for slaving away alone from dawn to dusk in the death trap that was P.W. & Snape Imprints? For getting fined, subpoenaed, and jailed for "management failures" long before even taking over the factory? Nothing! Nothing at all.

And today, she had the gull to ask for money to visit the magical mall of theirs? Did she think money grew on trees? The nerve of her! Watching me work and refusing to use the bloody _magic_ of hers to just conjur up some gold.

Well...well. I sure showed them. Eileen and that _son_ of his. All he ever does is go over and mooch off of the Redens, Evans, or whoever it is. He's never around for dinner, which by god is supposed to be a family time. Only running in past curfew and blaming me. A disgrace, that's what it is! My father, grandfather, and fathers before them always said: A Snape takes pity from no one. I raised the tip of the glass to my mouth.

"Goddam it, we're outta beer again," I moaned, throwing the bottle away.

It was all her fault. Always holding me back with magic, always denying me of beer. And that boy-

I paused, staring at a sticky substance which landed on my hair and a roll of parchment on the floor.

An in-explainable rage came over me as I yelled, "EILEEEN! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT RUDDY OWLS IN OUR HOME?" completely forgetting the already unconscious state of my wife at my feet.

I heard a loud BANG! before everything became black. Who would have thought this was the last thought I would ever have?

...

_DAILY PROPHET SPECIAL EDITION  
August 12, 1969 (2)  
_

**WIZENGAMOT ELECTS NEW MINISTER OF MAGIC AFTER VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE  
**Lord Marvalo 'Voldemort' Gaunt pledges stability during the transition as Ex-Minister Nobby Leach is sacked from office.  
_p.3_-4

**ALBUS P.W.B. DUMBLEDORE DECLARED ENEMY OF THE STATE  
**Leader of terrorist organization 'Order of the Phoenix' wanted for the death of twenty, attack on Minister of Magic.**  
**_p.5_

**MINISTER GRANTS PARDONS TO REFORMED CONVICTS WILLING TO WORK FOR THE MINISTRY  
**"Everyone deserves a second chance," says Minister Gaunt, "these ex-convicts have agreed to help down the ministry track down other criminals currently at large. I call upon members of both sides of the conflict to put down their weapons and come forward for dialogue. Anyone who does so within this week will be given a full pardon."_  
p.7  
_

* * *

(1) According to the Harry Potter Wikia, Spinners End is in a Mill Town located in Northern England. Cross Referencing with major Mill Towns in the United Kingdom shows Lancanshire, Chesire, Greater Manchester, and Yorkshire as possible locations. Props to whoever can guess which Mill Town I chose.  
(2) Severus Snape was born in 1960 according to HP Wikia. Historically from August 13-17, riots broke out in Northern Ireland.  
A/N: This is an idea I've had since last summer, although I did not start rewriting it (original lost) until recently.

AAO 0.1


	2. Bittersweet Memories

**Title**: Against All Odds  
**Rating**: M  
**Based On**: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, (c) Scholastic, Bloomsbury, WB, etc. etc.  
**Disclaimer**: If I owned this work, would I publish this on _fan_fiction? All rights copyright their respective owners.

* * *

_A New World Order_

"And so," I droned on to my disgust, "the goblin rebellion of '70 was put down by the special auror corps."

The young Avery snickered to the left while leaning back precariously on his chair with obvious disdain. He landed down moments later, snidely whispering to his friend, "serves those _savages_ right."

I frowned at him, disapproval emanating in waves off me. I sternly asked, "Do you have something to say Mr. Avery?"

"Why nothing sir" he said, blowing away a strand of hair dangling in front of his face, "I was just telling Evan here that you forgot to mention how my father heroically led the charge into Gringotts."

"Right I did, but that does not give you the right to interrupt my class," I reminded him. To my frustration, he merely waved off my warning with a meaningless apology and continued distracting his buddies. Only this time, instead of talking outright, he started scribbling on parchment enchanted to take on the shape of paper airplanes, no doubt provided for by the younger Malfoy.

In some ways, I mused as I turned back towards the lesson at hand, I shouldn't mind their lack of attention. Much of the curriculum on Wizarding History is far from the truth and everyone knew it. Avery's _noble and brave_ father, for example, really only managed to take over Gringotts by cowering behind human shields, captured muggleborns. That is,of course, if they consider taking over a ruined building as an achievement, for all of the vaults had been emptied earlier by the goblin nation and transferred overseas to various European branches.

On the other hand, if this were any reputable institution on the continent, such cheekiness would be unacceptable. The madness that is Magical Britain under Minister rule, however, allows anything and everything, given one is a pure blood. Thus, with no option but to hold my tongue, I turned to another one of the young princes who was currently sleeping in my class.

To my dismay, Mr. Prince only snored louder when I tapped sharply on the board behind me. Giving the boy my best glare, I flew off of the podium and landed in front of his desk.

"Mr. Prince!" I yelled. The boy at least had the decency to appear ashamed by having been caught dozing in class. The moment was ruined however when Mr. Wilkes broke into hysterical laughs.

"That's it Mr. Wilkes," I roared, _damn the consequences_, "I will not tolerate such behavior from my-"

"_Crucio_!"

Unimaginable pain took over my mind as spell broke past my mental barriers with the help of amplifying runes bound around my neck. Gasping as the curse was lifted, I struggled to pick myself up from the floor.

"Kids," greeted a curt aristocratic voice, "I think you've learned enough today. Why don't you go out and enjoy the gardens while I have a little chat here? I think Lucius and Narcissa are there right now."

The delinquents quickly left the room, whispering to each other before vanishing behind the oak doors.

"I believe," he said, advancing slowly towards me, "that I made it crystal clear you are not to scold, touch, or yell at any _person_ under my care."

Grabbing me by the neck, Abraxas Malfoy flung me into a shelf on the right.

"Did I not just see you do that?" he taunted, using my prized books, ancient tomes passed down from forefather to forefather, as bludgers. Stars and snowstorms of blood soaked paper rained down around me as I defiantly stayed silent.

"Well?" he asked while towering above me having tired of his game, "isn't this what you deserve?" Using the bookcase behind me as leverage, I struggled up to meet his gaze. "Yes, sir" I chocked out, coughing blood onto his robes. I smirked as he grabbed me again by the neck.

"Why you disgusting-"

I coughed again, spewing more blood on his face causing him to back away.

"I will deal with you later," he spat, unwilling to approach me in fear of further dirtying his clean ropes, "It will do well for you to remember half-breeds have no rights."

We stayed there, staring at one another for what seemed an eternity before Abraxas suddenly broke the gaze, staring at the mess around the room. Sighing, he turned around and limped out of the room, muttering, "Just...clean up this mess," before his silhouette faded away with the rest of the room into sweet oblivion.

* * *

_Bittersweet Memories_

"Did you see Severus' face when he thought the bloke was going to punish us?" asked Evan as we walked down the brightly lit hallway towards a small courtyard.

He scrunched his face up into a poor imitation of me, nose crooked with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth.

"Hey! You try waking up to the face of a troll," I defended amidst cheers. A loud clang resonated through the walls.

"I wonder what father is going to do to him," said Mulciber in response.

"Nothing unwarranted," replied Evans. The two started whispering to one another, probably betting on what exactly occurred.

Soon, more loud crashes came from behind us, followed by horrifying yell. "Ugghhh," I shuddered as memories of my past came to me.

_Glass shattered everywhere as I desperately tried to find a place to hide. Unfortunately, the shattered desk offered little solace as I crawled on my knees. I ignored the thousands of tiny pricks made by beer bottle shards against my skin as I successfully hid behind a cabinet in the hall._

_"Guuueout back here...yu-you ungrateful bastard!"_

"_Never in a million years" I yelled defiantly as I watched him limp past the cabinet, oblivious to my location._

"_Oh Tobias," cried my mother who, to my horror, ran up to him, "he never meant anything by it. Please," she begged tugging incessantly on his arm, "Tobias, please. He's just trying to mak-"_

_I tried warning her off, I really did, but it was too late. My father's rage unleashed itself on her in a barrage of punches._

"_How dare you speak back to me!"_

"_Dad! I'm sorry!" I yelled, stumbling out from my hiding spot so I was in between the two._

"_Seve-us," chocked my mom behind me, trying to speak despite her bruises. I stared at her swollen voiceless face, tears blurring my view, numb to my fathers blows as I held her._

"SEVERUS!"

I woke from my dream only to be dazzled by a blinding light while someone was shaking me slightly.

"Relax," said the shadow as my vision cleared. It was Lucius.

"_Relax_ Severus. No one is going to hurt you here," he assured as I noticed the half worried, half amused looks on my friends faces.

I saw Lucius give Mulciber a glare after I swore for the third time I was fine, to which Mulciber only muttered something about muggles and their parenting.

Abashed by the attention, I hastily looked around for something, anything, to change the topic. It appeared that I, er...we, had ended up in the gardens. A beautiful fountain stood in the middle, depicting human children, fairies, elves, and other creatures playing together. I remember it fondly, for once it was located in the front yard for any and all guests to see. It is one of the few personal touches by Ms. Malfoy left, moved to the private gardens to avoid destruction at the hands of the inquisitorial squad. Around it lay wild flowers, once maintained by hand now left unattended.

"What are you looking at?" prodded Wilkes as I remained silent.

"Lilies," I said, pointing to the beautiful white petals.

"Oh um, yes, they are quite pretty aren't they?" Lucius wondered, staring at me peculiarly. His face and expression were focused on Narcissa, who now looped her arm through his. His attention though was clearly elsewhere as if wondering if I truly was okay. I cared little if he questioned my sanity or not.

"_Cmon Sev!" Lily giggled, dragging me forward despite my protests, "it'll be fun!"_

_Why, oh why, did I have to sneak into the New Years ball with her?_

"_But I don't know how to dance Lily!" I said, not wanting to embarrass myself._

"_Nonsense Sev, you'll be fine," she answered, "if a six year old can do it onstage, so can you."_

_Lily stopped dragging me as we reached the clearing._

"_Besides," she pouted, "it took me forever to convince big sis to let me use her dress. Please Sev? Pleeease?"_

_I sighed. Why could I never say no to her?_

"_Well?" she asked, arm stretched out impatiently._

_Swollowing my pride, I smoothed my hair, bent down on one knee, and replied as regally as I could "May I have this dance, my Princess?"_

"_Sev..." she flushed, surprised by my sudden charm, I conjured a Lily flower almost magically out of thin air and offered it to her, our noses touching as I nervously put it in her hair._

"_I..."_

I opened my eyes, but instead of seeing the image of a goddess, all I saw was a snarling blond breathing raggedly down my neck.

"What. Exactly are you doing with that flower?"

"Uh..." I muttered at a loss, still trying to remember how I ended up knee bent with a Lily in my hand proposing to the guy.

"Oh Lucius, I'm sure he meant nothing by it," laughed Narcissa who pulled Lucius back, "You dreamer. I never knew you thought of me that way, but you know I'm already engaged to Lucius." she winked while blowing him a kiss. I flushed, thanking her for saving me from her boyfriend. I guess I must have offered the flower to her during my memory, evoking Lucius' jealousy.

As the duo retreated away to a more private place, Evans clapped me in the back.

"I never figured you'd be the first to get a girlfriend Sev. Who's the unlucky girl?"

"Shut it," I muttered, groaning inwardly as they continued to prod me while my face becoming deeper shades of red.

_Why did I have to think of her _now?_ It's been almost a year since I've seen her. Besides, they'll never believe me now when I try to explain my obsession with Lilies as remembering our prank when we turned the professor into a Lily for a week.

* * *

_

_The Phoenix Underground_

It wasn't always this way, I mused as I cast a few basic wandless spells to heal my wounds. Why, barely a year ago, I was given the promising prospect of a post at Hogwarts. The chance to teach young minds, to sculpt and cultivate the next generation. Everything changed, however, with the fall of the ministry.

Of course, the purebloods were smart. They didn't try to oppress mixedbreeds and muggleborns overnight. With the dwindling pureblood population as it is, such acts would have surely resulted in riots and toppling of the ministry. Instead, inquisitorial squads, muggleborn registration, and secret kidnappings became the standard. Even now, a few closely watched muggleborns (cooperating with the ministry of course) were still _free and about _on the streets, creating the facade that was equality in order to ward away foreign intervention. It was like Grindlewald all over again. Instead this time, Magical Britain would not be on the side of the allies.

Still, what the ministry does not know is that I-having been stripped of my wand, titles, rights, and dignity-still have my magic. The purebloods, few and ignorant as they are, assume incorrectly that merely snapping a wand and inscribing weak runes around ones neck (all written Incorrectly of course for all the experienced rune breakers and charmers had worked for Gringotts and left in the Mass Exodus) is enough to enslave me. Why, it is this exact complacency which cost the lives of the Greyback and Lestrange families. Officially blamed on terrorists, they two families deaths were really the cause of accidental magic, innate defenses in any magical being that triggers automatically in life or death situations.

I carefully slipped a bit of powder into the nearby fireplace, mumbled a few words, and deposited a single letter into the flames.

One day, they will be sorry for underestimating Filius Flitwick, World Dueling Champion Extraordinaire.

* * *

A/N: Apologies for delays in this chapter due to realizing halfway that Lucius is six years older than Severus and would not be in the same class as him (this was originally titled The Lord and Two Princes). I also upped the rating based on the first memory sequence.

Special thanks to arioso dolente, Luiz4200, and -Dream-Silver-Haze- for reviews. Any and all comments are welcome!

AAO 1.1


	3. A Day Out

**Title**: Against All Odds  
**Rating**: T  
**Based On**: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, (c) Scholastic, Bloomsbury, WB, etc. etc.  
**Disclaimer**: If I owned this work, would I publish this on _fan_fiction? All rights copyright their respective owners.

* * *

_A Day Out_

"Severus, you forgot your scarf!" mom yelled, rapidly wrapping it around my head.

"Mfpm, Vi angt reath!" I cried, muffled by mouthfuls of string.

"Oh, come here," she cried as I evaded the offending clothing in her arms after she took it off. We played tag for a minute or two before she gave up with a huff, stating "I guess you'll be fine without a scarf."

I ran outside ahead of her, eager to meet up with Evans, Mulciber, and the others.

"Wait up!" huffed my mom as I ran up ahead away from the house. Light specks of dew were still fresh on the grassy path as I turned a corner and stepped away from our wards. If any muggle had been looking, it would seem that a ten year old boy had magically appeared out of thin air. I shivered a bit while waiting for my mom as a light breeze came through.

"Whew," she panted trying to catch her breath, "now...be safe in...Diagon Alley, okay? Don't go running off by yourself like that".

I nodded mechanically as she raised her wand.

BANG!

A dark purple bus magically appeared in front of us, whizzing to a halt with an equally loud screech. The doors burst open impulsively and a shriveled head spouted, "Welcome aboard the Knight Bus," as I ran up the stairs past a tall witch toward where my friends were.

"Wicked, eh?" I asked while grabbing a seat. Lucius gave us a half-hearted smile while Evans chuckled.

"Not really, no," grumbled Wilkes who happened to be on the floor.

A warm hand ruffled my hair behind me.

"Hey you," greeted Narcissa, "almost ran me over back there." I apologized sheepishly as she leaned over me over me toward the side. "It's fine," she dismissed before sticking her head out the window.

"We'll be back at mom's party at four. Is there anything else you need?"

"Just make sure they don't waste all of their money on new brooms. You know how kids love flying."

Narcissa laughed, replying shortly after, "Don't worry Ms. Prince, Lucius and I have been prefects for two years. We're used to watching over little kids."

I waved goodbye as Narcissa stepped back to hold onto a rail, warning, "Hold on tight guys."

With that said, the bus jerked forward with another BANG.

I looked around the table as we waited for the bus to zip from Lancashire to the outskirts of Magical London. To my surprise, I noticed a certain dark haired kid sitting where Mulciber usually sat to the right of Evans.

"What happened to Mulciber?" I asked, "thought we agreed to go Hogwarts shopping together."

"He got grounded for accidentally setting fire to his dads shed," answered Evans while brandishing a scroll magically affixed to his robe, "I'm getting his stuff for him."

I took a measured glanced at the kid, wondering, _'How come we got the scrawny kid instead'_

"Hey!" came an indignant shout startling me out of my chair, "I'm not scrawny!"

_'Dammit! Didn't mean for that to be said outloud.' _Of course, I had no intention of apologizing to him. I turned my attention back to his rant, "-only a year younger than you. Besides, me and my bro are both taller than you."

"Yet I recall beating that dogheaded brother of yours when he tried to jump me," I noted while crossing my arms, "so clearly, you are scrawnier than me."

"Really Severus," Narcissa interrupted, "I know how much you despise Sirius, but Regulus he hasn't ever done anything to you." She paused, staring at me sternly as if expecting an apology but I remained silent. After a few moments, she added, "Just give him a chance, okay? He's my cousin too you know."

I tilted my head, as if in contemplation while she gave me a pleading look. After a while, I conceded to her request as I didn't want to ruin a good day. '_As long as he doesn't try to pull any heroics typical of Gryffindorks.'_

"Now you be nice to him," she admonished, "he'll be in your house next year. Every member of the Noble House of Black's been in Slytherin for five generations!"

"We'll see," I snorted, remember overhearing Sirius' oath not to be in Slytherin. _'Though...I really need to stop saying thoughts out loud. Oh wait, what if she heard that bit about Sirius?_' I thought, clamping my hand over my mouth. Thankfully, I didn't need to worry about getting scolded alone as Regulus choose to mutter, "dun need you to be my mother sis," rather loudly.

"What was that?" spun Narcissa who had partially turned back toward her boyfriend.

Giving her the best innocent expression we could muster, we both muttered, "Nuthin"

Surprisingly, instead of staring at us angrily like before, all she did was groan and collapse onto Lucius' lap, complaining of how horrible boys, excluding Lucius, are.

* * *

_A Lonely Adobe_

Mornings were truly a burden. Getting up day after day, leaving the solace of the bed, alone, for what? The only news ever brought by the Prophet included random arrests, new rewards, and deaths. An unnerving fog filled the air, a year since the sun last shone untainted. Of course, when I was younger, life weren't so dreary. Like my son before me, I was filled with optimism. Burdened by my heritage and duties, yes, but the world was in my grasp. Everything was open to a Black, I had no worries about money or position. Yet age, and experience, has its toil on the spirit. The aches and pains were nothing, for there were always potions and spells for them if I truly desired. Besides, it wouldn't do to walk around every day intoxicated by painkilling potions.

I paused in my musings and raised my goblet slightly, swirling it while staring across the table. Chucking at the speed Lucius was gobbling down his meal, I pondered over my drink if I should scold him for being uncivilized. I lifted the brim to my lips and took a long gulp of Firewiskey as memories of my past came flashing before me. Ahh...there still was nothing like Ogden's Best.

Less than a minute passed before Lucius coughed slightly to get my attention, interrupting my musings. No doubt impatient to leave so that he can meet up with Narcissa, Lucius is just like me when I was younger. Luckily for him, I had come to the conclusion that it was not in my right to deny him his youth and happiness.

"Your excused, Lucius," I waved. Twinkle, my elf, moved forward and handed a few galleons to the boy. "Make sure to treat Narcissa and the kids to some ice cream later," I added before my attention turned towards a piece of bacon in front of me.

"Thank you father," he mumbled before leaving for the Black residence through the floo.

I remember the first time I went there, nearly twenty years ago. Of course, Lucius has been to Diagon Alley before, but still, each year it marks a special occasion.

For example, first year is when new wizards get matched up with wands. One's wand is and always has been one's life. My first wand was of course made by Ollivanders (the current Ollivander's father), a ten inch Elm with Dragon Heartstring as the core.

There also used to be a flying carpet store there which used to give free rides. Though brooms were the preferred choice, few parents allowed children to ride them. Carpets on the other hand were largely marketed as family friendly and safe, so during breaks and before school, you would expect to see quite a few in the air. Now though, given the de facto trade embargo on Magical Britain, the store closed. The premise transforming into a joke shop, no doubt still one of the favorite locations for Hogwarts students.

"Master?" asked Twinkle startling me out of my reverie. I stared at her. Usually, Twinkle was more than competent with whatever issue rose, having served faithfully for thirteen years. She even gave Lucius shopping money earlier unprompted. Nothing bad could have happened this soon, right?

She continued. "the honorable Mrs. Black wishes to ask if she may visit."

_'Ahh I see.' _"Welcome her in, I guess, I shall meet her in the courtyard shortly." _'no doubt some social call_.' I wasn't particularly in the mood to see her, but being the head of house had its duties. With that said, I conjured up a mirror, wiped a few crumbs off my face, and proceeded out the door.

* * *

_Contemplations _

_We walked through the moonlit gardens hand in hand._

"It's always been so beautiful," she remarked, picking up an orchid on the side. I nodded, thinking of the first time I met her.

_"It's yours you know," I said, pulling her into my embrace, "I would give you everything, even my soul, to see you smile."_

We moved on, toward a curve in the path where an old redwood bench stood empty and partially covered by leaves due to disuse. "Is there something on your mind?"

_I asked, noticing her reluctance. "It's just..."__  
_

"Have you ever wondered...if our traditions were wrong?" she asked, looking off into the distance.

_"I mean, it's not like I don't love what we have, but..."_

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her admittance, of all people. She, along with her sister, always seemed to be firm supporters of pureblood culture.

_I pulled back from her, asking in a whisper, "then what would you like instead?"_

"I know what you are thinking Abraxas," she sighed, laughing lightly.

"On one hand, I do enjoy everything at home_..."_

_"...I just want a marriage to be out of compassion, love, not some hastily arranged contract!" she confessed.  
_

"Sometimes...I wonder if I should just take a break. Go see the world, learn something new, be apart of something, you know?"

_"instead of just sticking around housekeeping."_

"Druella, you shouldn't think of yourself like this," I consoled, "you _have _made a difference, perhaps not large and breathtaking as you might feel, but still huge. You were there for Narcissa and Bellatrix when they were young. They are the bright and upstanding women they are now only due to your upbringing."

"Mmm..." she nodded,

_"but really, what do I have now?"_

"Sure, I might have been their world, but they aren't kids anymore. Narcissa has Lucius now, who is just as charming as you. And Bella...well, she's been gone for a while," she paused, "I just don't want to be living the rest of my life alone just withering away."

_"If you don't believe me, then I will give you a wizard's oath," I declared, grasping her arm, "that I will never leave your side. That I do truly love you. That I will never love, or lust, another, if only you accept."  
_

"Thanks Abraxas...you always know what to say," she smiled with a sniff. We sat there, glancing at the clouds above while she leaned on my shoulder.

"Abraxas?" she murmured as I was about to doze off, "I...I heard about what happened to your wife...the real reason behind it."

"Mmm" floundered, unsure if I wanted to broach this subject or not. I turned my head towards her only to be startled by how close our lips touched.

"I..."

POP!

"Master!" interrupted Twinkle, "some rude people from the ministry barged from the floo! They are terrorizing the other elves and demand to see you."

I hastily extracted my arm from Druella, apologizing profusely, and hastened to the foyer.

~.~

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, trying to right myself up from the floor. The man behind me gave me another rude push as I was directed towards the Ministry atrium. Cowards, the lot of them. I glared at Greengrass to my right who glared right back. So much for being blood brothers. But then again, that's what Minister Marvalo does to people. Everyone is complacent for fear of their lives.

We finally reached the front desk where a small group of equally flustered people gathered.

"Wand?" asked a bored lady blowing a bubble. I shrugged towards Greengrass behind me who handed her my confiscated wand.

I stood in the atrium waiting for over two hours before a gruff and tired looking man finally beckoned for me

"You'll be interviewed in the second room on your right," he said, before turning away. Sighing, I wandered down the corridor looking for the specified room. A battered wooden door greeted me as I glanced around unable to find another. _'Guess this is it.'_

I cautiously pushed the creaky door forward and entered inside a dark room with a single chair in the middle.

"Have a seat Mr. Malfoy," proclaimed a mysterious voice. The door behind me shut itself with a loud thud. The only remaining source of light came from above the chair.

"What's this all about?" I demanded, confused and irritated at my treatment.

"A recent scheduled prisoner transfer was attacked by terrorists," he explained, "Thankfully, there was a unannounced schedule change and the prisoners were moved earlier. You are one of the suspects in this case."

With that, he began questioning, "Describe your relationship with undesirable no. 149."

"Undesirable no. 149, formerly Ms. Malfoy," _'my wife and love,' _"convicted of bloodline theft through use of illegal _amortentia_ potions." I lied while dying inside. I was ready to defend her with my life, but she forced me to repeat the lies so that I could live and not be executed as a traitor, "I was confined to live with her for ten years while she spent half of my wealth," _'remaining. Most of it lies in overseas accounts so they won't be confiscated by the ministry via bogus levies,' _"but you know all of this, I've testified under _veritaserum _on this multiple times, do you really need to waste more taxpayer money on such trivialities?"_  
_

The man remained unmoved by my sarcasm, jotting down a few things and continuing after motioning for a nearby aid to administer a shot of the truth potion, "Have you been in contact with Malfoi members on the mainland?"

"No," I replied smoothly, swallowing an general potion antidote gel hidden as false tooth (a habit I picked up after my first such interview). Though truth be told, I truly never did have any contact with Malfoi members on the continent. There was a reason for our family's negative association, not because we were all unfaithful. Rather, the Malfoy family founder had been involved in a messy scandal with his wife's own sister, according to my grandad, and thus left for England for a new start. The two sides never talked to each again after that.

"Look," I asked after noticing the questioners hesitance to move on, "why don't you tell me how I was supposed to know of the botched transfer and I can prove my innocence."

"One of our staff confessed under interrogation to have leaked the information at a party you held on the 6th of August."

I laughed at the insanity of his argument. "So it somehow is my fault he drank too much of my wine? I will have you know that I was busy supervising the elves cooking that day while the guests arrived. Afterward, I had a conversation with Minister Marvalo and then left upstairs to have a chat with Ms. Black," I paused to catch a breath before continuing, "so unless Ms. Black or my elves somehow work at the Ministry, you might as well accuse every honorable member of Wizarding Britain, the minister himself included."

~.~

"Tell Flitwick to meet me in the study," I told Twinkle after finally arriving home. I sat down and waited for his arrival. It didn't take a genius to figure out why I was had to be kept after all. As such, I painstakingly made sure ahead of time never to directly associate with any dissenters. In addition, moles were a dangerous occupation within the ministry, always flushed out due to an ingenious idea by some ministry lackey to deliver slightly different information to members within a department whenever a leak was suspected. As such, since most of my guests worked at the ministry, I concluded that none of the guests who were invited were likely to have betrayed the ministry.

The door to my right creaked open and a small head popped out saying, "You asked for me sir?"

"You need to be more careful," I warned the diminutive wizard.

"What?" he asked, completely confused.

I sighed, repeating again, "I said, you need to be more careful. I just got back from ministry questioning about terrorists who got confidential information at a party held on my manor." The wizard puffed up his chest, no doubt ready to refute my warning but I cut him off before he could protest, "Don't worry. While I suspect you had something to do with it, I have no proof and even less intention to report you to the ministry." He gave me an incredulous look after hearing this. How predictable.

"Do you really believe that I am a blood purist?" I said, wondering if he really hadn't noticed by now. He hesitated to answer my question, no doubt fearing it to be a trick. "Tell me the truth, Flitwick," I asked again.

He finally confessed after a bit of prodding, "I..I always thought, by the way you acted, that you were."

I laughed, my fears both confirmed and allayed, before sending him on his way out. After a quick locking charm, I fumbled in my robes and took out a small silver locket. Inside lay a single still picture, perhaps too muggle-like and slightly faded, but precious for it was the last vestige I had left of her. I grabbed a seat and began my daily ritual of retelling my day to her. I could imagine her nodded and smiled encouragingly at me, but no sound ever came out of her mouth, as if silently reminding me of how I abandoned her to save my own hide.

_'At least,' _I thought, _'I am no longer a coward, too afraid to stand up for what I believed in.'_

* * *

A/N: Hopefully you were somewhat surprised by Abraxas' passages in this chapter. To clarify if you were confused: the italics are memories of a different person.

Anyway, I enjoy reviews, be they good or bad, so if you have the time, click that review button and gimme a shout.

Special thanks to arioso dolente and Luiz4200 for feedback (sorry I didn't include the marauders in this one, they were going to show up in the unexpected treat section)

AAO 2.1


	4. Unexpected Surprises

**Title**: Against All Odds  
**Rating**: T  
**Disclaimer**: If I owned this work, would I publish this on _fan_fiction? All rights copyright their respective owners.

* * *

_An Unexpected Treat  
_

As we came out of Flourish and Blotts, Wilkes suddenly dropped his books and ran to the other side of the street. "Forget the Knight Bus, Portkeys, and Flooing. Flying, that's the way to travel!" he exclaimed, pointing towards Quality Quidditch Supplies. Avery and Regulus ran after him and I hastened to catch up.

"Cmon kids," Narcissa said while rolling her eyes and picking up the books, "We promised your parents not to let you guys waste gold on brooms. Besides, you can't bring them to Hogwarts as first years."

We ignored her, all staring at the new _Oakshaft 80_. While named after the famous _Oakshaft_ series, the _80_ featured a new streamlined design.

"I bet this flies faster than the Nimbus 1000!" Avery boasted,

"No way," Regulus scoffed, "the _Numbus 1000_ way faster. I mean, every reputable Quidditch team has switched over."

"How about this," Lucius interrupted before there could be an argument, "if we finish early, I'll buy you guys ice cream and you guys can take turns riding my _Nimbus 1001_ back at Hogwarts."

_"_There's a _Nimbus 1001_?" Regulus asked bewilderingly, only to be quickly muffled by Lucius who hushed conspiratorially, "It hasn't been officially released yet"

Avery and Wilkes hesitantly pulled back from the window and glanced at one another as if mentally holding a conversation.

Suddenly, the two boys ran off yelling, "First one to Twilfitt and Tatting's rides first!"

Lucius grinned sheepishly as Narcissa glared at him from the ground, having been knocked off her feet by the duo.

"Thank you for setting a good example Lucius," she muttered while dusting her robes off.

Misinterpreting her statement, Lucius chuckled and asked "Aren't I always?" only to quickly back away after seeing her dangerous expression.

"I think I'll go make sure they don't get into trouble," he said before fleeing the scene.

One or two people nearby stopped in alarm as she yelled "LUCIUS!" loudly after him. An elderly couple with light auburn, I think Perfects, Prewlitt, or something like that, came by and asked Narcissa if everything was alright.

"Oh, yes!," she answered, blushing at having been seen outside of her calm and controlled character, "I'm terribly sorry for the outburst...it's a hassle watching over kids sometimes and well.." her apology faded off as the lady nodded understandingly and moved on, but not before asking us to help Narcissa pick up Wilkes scattered quills and books.

After double checking everything was accounted for, Narcissa sighed. while motioning for us to follow her, "I guess it can't be helped," pausing to shake her head, "I'll never understand boys and Quidditch."

~.~

"Whew," Narcissa exhaled as she dropped four bags down by the side of the table. "We're finally done!"

I carefully placed my shrunken trunk on the pavement next to our table and propped open the menu. Afterward, we sat outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor trying to find shapes in the clouds for a few moments. I ordered three scoops: banana, pumpkin, and chocolate while Narcissa and Lucius shared a bowl. Every so often, a large group of kids would pass by, followed by parents or older siblings, headed towards Gringotts to our side.

"Here we go," greeted Mr. Flortescue, carrying out our orders, "a banana split with cherries on top for the lovely lady and a banana pumpkin chocolate combo for you."

Narcissa thanked him ("No need to thank me, just doing my job. I'll be right back with the other orders ma'am,") before playfully sitting in Lucius lap and giving him a quick kiss.

"Ewww," said a familiar voice from behind us, "I did not want to see two cousins kissing each other!"

I turned around and glared at the black haired kid and his hanger on Potter while Regulus told him to "bugger off Siri, stop bothering your sister."

Narcissa quietly slid off Lucius into a nearby stool while Lucius coughed slightly, diplomatically greeting, "A pleasure to see you too Sirius," with a smile.

"You're friends with scum like Lucius, Sirius?" blanched Potter.

"Wha-no! I hate him," he replied quickly in an unconvincing manner. Mr. Flortescue just happened to come back out that moment with Lucius' order and before anyone knew what happened, Sirius, snatched the cone and ran, yelling "Death Eaters like you don't deserve ice cream, pardon or no pardon!"

"That Potter boy is a bad influence on him," Narcissa fumed as Potter scurried away after his friend, "Honestly, calling you a Death Eater in public. Everyone knows Death Eaters were just a ploy used by the Order of Phoenix to attack Upstanding Pureblood families. I don't know what Aunt Dorea is teaching that kid!"

Unfortunately, Narcissa's defense of her boyfriend was lost on Lucius who just looked forlornly at where the ice cream cone had been moments ago. Noticing this, Narcissa giggled and sat back in his lap, whispering mischievously, "Don't worry, Lucius. I can share," before putting a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and kissing him again.

"Ewww," Regulus barfed.

~.~

"Hurry up and Finish Severus!" complained Wilkes, "We _only_ have two hours left before the party to fly on Lucius' broom."

I rolled my eyes at his antics. A second ago he was complaining of a killer headache from finishing his triple scoop butterscotch ice cream and now this.

"I finished last in the 'race' anyway so it's not like getting back early matters to me," I muttered.

"Bu-but...that's unfair!"

"Look, what don't you go on ahead with Avery and Lucius," I pointed to the two who were fooling around with some joke items from Gambol and Japes, "both of them have already finished. I can head back later with Reg and Narcissa since none of us are done."

~.~

A few minutes later, after Wilkes, Avery and Lucius left, I was walking past Gringots back towards the Leaky Cauldron with Narcissa and Regulus._ I can't believe Wilkes couldn't wait a few minutes_.

My thoughts were interrupted however when a young girl ran by me and accidentally collided into me making me drop my wand. "Hey!" I yelled indignantly and searched for my dropped wand only to realize it was missing. Two aurors appeared out of nowhere and chased on brooms after her casting _Stupefy_. To my horror, I saw the girl turn around and mutter some weird incantation that caused the brooms to catch on fire using my wand.

_That thieving witch!_

Loud pops could be heard throughout Diagon Alley however as more Aurors apparated in. It was a good thing too for I didn't need to chase the girl for long.

"Let me go!" she screamed, biting an aurors hand. She bolted as soon as the guy pulled back, only to be stop dead in her track as another cast a _Petrificus Totalus_ on her.

I heard Narcissa pant as she caught up to me. "Severus Prince," she scolded, "don't go running off like that!"

"She took my wand, Narcissa" I replied, motioning to the girl.

"You should've just told me," she said, "I could've summoned it. _Accio Severus' Wand!"_

A few moments alter, the flew into her hand.

_"_See?"_  
_

What we didn't know however was that the wand had been confiscated by the aurors. Shorly after, an angry female auror came over threatening to arrest us for interfering with auror business. In addition, a shopkeepers came up claiming the girl had stolen thirty galleons from him. And, to everyone's surprise, the girl somehow shrugged off the body bind curse and began struggling again despite being held down by two aurors.

For some reason, I choose to ignore the choas around me and take a closer look at the girl in front of me. In the midst of it all remained a girl with fiery red hair and sparking emerald eyes, somewhat subdued, but still spirited as ever. A girl I recognized.

"_Lily?"_

* * *

_The Express_

The countryside blurred past me as I glanced out the window. I stared at the pattern on the glass created by rain drizzling down the window, wondering where the time had gone. Summer always ended too soon.

"So...What house do you think you will be in?" asked Avery interrupting my musing, "I really want to be in Slytherin, but Ravenclaw might be okay."

Mulciber nodded, adding, "Why would anyone want to be in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?"

"My cousin's in Gryffindor and she says that all the houses are split fairly even. I mean, Gryffindor is known for being the noble and pure house." (1) chimed Wilkes. Everyone

"I don't know...as long as I'm not in Potter or Sirius' house" I muttered noncommittally, not wanting to discuss the topic. Mom would probably be thrilled if I were to be in Slytherin, but I didn't set my hopes up. I'd probably end up in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I didn't need to worry about Gryffindor since I wasn't a pureblood. Anyway, after the mass resorting last year mentioned in the Daily Prophet, there difference between them didn't matter anymore.

"What classes are you guys going to take?" I asked, taking out the handout everyone received with their acceptance letter and looking at the list.

**Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

First Year Class List  
_All Students Must Take At Least Five Courses._  
(Required Materials Can Be Found On the Page Indicated Before Each Course)

_Basic Transfiguration - Abolished (Replaced by Essential Charms)  
_

_13 - Essential Charms_ - _Professor Greengrass  
_

_15 - Elementary Potions - __Professor Slughorn  
_

_ Defense Against the Dark Arts__ - Abolished (See Below)  
_

_13 - Introduction to Spellcraft (New) - Professor Greengrass  
_

_16 - Introduction to Wizard Duels - Professor Slughorn  
_

_History of Magic - Abolished (See Below)  
_

_ 12 - Wizarding Culture (New) - Professor Black_

_20 - Runes: Nature's Hidden Power- Professor Babbling  
_

_ 17 - Defense against Dark Creatures - Professor __Grubbly-Plank_

_19 - Astrology: Magic of the Stars - Professor Sinistra  
_

_24 - Herbology - Professor Sprout  
_

_29 - Muggle Studies: Avoiding Witch Hunts - Professor __Quirrell  
_

_22 - Arithmancy - Professor Vector (NOTE: Placement Test Needed)  
_

_38 - Independent Study (New) - Professor Pince_

"I'm thinking about Herbology, Spellcraft, Charms, Creatures, Potions, Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies."

"_Muggle Studies_?" laughed Mulciber, "you've got to be kidding me. That class is a waste of time. Professor Quirrell is the worst ever. And why would you want to take a hard class like Arithmancy?"

Just then, a loud buckling noise was heard and the train came to a stop, saving me the hassle of answering his jab.

"Woah, we're here already?" asked Avery, peering through the window.

"Guess so." I muttered, as I reached up to get my luggage before hurrying outside. An odd man called Ogg greeted us on the platform and introduced himself as the groundskeeper. After a few moments in the rain waiting for stragglers, we headed to a dock filled with small wooden boats. A dark haired girl by the name of Macdonald asked cautiously, "Are you sure these are safe in the rain?"

"Don't worry," he replied jovially, "the boats are charmed to resist water."

With that, we slowly made our way across the water. I admit it was a beautiful sight, as the moon shone through the rain clouds, its reflection dancing off the water and projecting a shadow show of sorts on the walls. A few moments and a hundreds steps later, we found ourselves outside a huge wooden door in front of a regale witch in a black robe with dark blue trimmings. Ogg, the caretaker, nodded to her and disappeared off to the side as we waited for the door to open.

"I am Professor Greengrass the head of Ravenclaw," she introduced, "In a few moments, you will be sorted into one of four houses where you will stay for the rest of your years at Hogwarts. They are: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. Doing well in class or helping others will reward your house with points while breaking the rules will cause your house to lose points. Each year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. Now, even though there are rivalries between houses for the cup, I hope each and everyone of you will remain open minded and not let houses prevent you from making friends. Remember, it is not the house that decides who you are."

A bell chimed somewhere far away, interrupting her speech.

"It seems we are ready. Everyone, follow me."

With that, the huge oak doors behind her opened up with a creak allowing us passage inside.

_'Wow.' _I thought as I stared at the huge arches that vanished inside the magical sky dome, _'It's much larger in person!'_

"Where's the headmaster?" Avery whispered to me. I looked down from the ceiling at the staff table in front of me and noticed the empty seat.

"Dunno," I shrugged.

Suddenly, all the candles magically levitating above us snuffed themselves out and a spotlight appeared on the empty chair. A mysterious rich baritone voice filled the hall, "Laaadies and Gentlewizards" he said, causing a few first year girls to jump, "welcome to Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts!"

* * *

A/N_: _Another cliffhanger, okay two cliffhangers I know, I'm mean. I decided to get this out since it's been ages since the last update. No, this story has not been abandoned. This chapter and the course of the story did turn out much differently than planned.

(1): Let's say Voldemort ordered there to be historical revisionism.

Side note: The Oakshaft though was a famous model, but it obviously grew out of fashion by the time Harry goes to school. I included an updated model based on the assumption the company would still have been around long enough to compete.


End file.
